Not Tired
by thegirlwhowondered
Summary: Summary: Lucy's not tired. In fact, she's so not-tired that she could stay awake forever, if she wanted to. Re-uploaded to new account.


**Summary: Lucy's not tired. In fact, she's so not-tired that she could stay awake forever, if she wanted to. Re-uploaded to new account.**

Peter sighed, but as he did, a grin spread across his face. He should've known he'd find her down here.

He leant against the doorway, regarding his baby sister for a moment. She looked warm and snug in her winter pyjamas. Her hair hung around her face, but he could just see her well enough to notice that she had her nose all scrunched up, as she normally did when she concentrated hard. She had a massive book in her lap and was bent over it. It looked like a complicated book form where Peter was standing, but bless her heart, that would never stop his Lucy from trying.

After a few moments spent like this, Peter made his way over to her and sat down on the opposite side of her book. "It's late, why aren't you in bed?" he asked. "Everyone else is."

Lucy looked up at her brother for a moment before turning her attention back to her book. "I'm not tired," she insisted.

"It's nine-thirty at night, Lu," he pointed out. "You must be tired by now, surely."

"Nope."

"Come on, Lucy. You have to sleep eventually."

"I don't want to, Peter," she whined, looking up from her book again and pouting at him in such a way that only a four-year-old could pull it off. Peter always had trouble denying her anything when she did that and he knew she knew it too, so he searched for some common ground. The radio sitting on the living room table gave him an idea.

"Alright, you don't have to go to bed, but there is something else I'd like you to do instead."

Lucy closed her book slowly, and Peter knew he'd gotten her attention. "What is it?" she asked curiously, knowing that her brother never let her off so easily without something else up his sleeve.

"You don't have to look so suspicious," responded Peter, feigning taking offence to her tone. "I was just going to ask of you wanted to dance with me."

Any scepticism faded from her face, and she jumped up happily, nodding and running over to the radio. Peter returned Lucy's book to the shelf before following her and helping her tune the radio to a station that was playing some upbeat music. He also remembered to keep it down so as not to wake anyone else, but then again, the other members of his family slept so heavily that he and Lucy could probably have their music up full without it stirring a soul.

Peter had known that there was no way that his baby sister would ever say no if he asked her to dance. She started off by spinning around so fast, she tripped over her own feet, and Peter only just caught her in time before she hit the ground. Then she proudly demonstrated some new dance moves she had made up herself, probably on the spot but she never specified. Peter followed her around, making some motions that roughly resembled dancing whenever she looked at him, but for the most part, he was content to watch Lucy twirl around on her own, until she ran out of actions.

"Peter, I'm dizzy," she giggled, looking at him through the hair that had fallen over her face.

He held out his hands and, taking the hint, Lucy climbed onto his feet and cuddled up to him. He started to walk her around, humming along to the music. She joined in his humming with delicate _"da-da-da_"s and _"dum-da-da"_s. Peter smiled, knowing that voice would one day break hearts.

They continued to dance for longer than either of them bothered to keep track. Sometimes he lifted her off his feet to the ground so he could spin her around, but for the most part he kept her on his feet, close to him, and let her hum and sing and giggle her way to tiredness.

When he heard Lucy yawn for about the tenth time, Peter decided that she was tired enough to fall asleep without a fight. He gently placed her on the ground and turned off the radio. She gave him a curious look, but he only put a finger to his lips and said quietly, "It's time for bed now."

Peter placed his hands on Lucy's shoulders and led his baby sister to the stairs. "I'm not sleepy," she insisted in a slur; but she didn't fight him either.

"Of course you aren't," Peter agreed in a whisper, still leading her towards her bedroom.

"I'm really not, you know."

"I know."

"In fact, I'm so not-tired, that I could stay awake forever if I wanted to."

"Of course you could."

"Then it's settled, I'll stay awake forever." Even as she said this, Lucy tripped over her own feet once more, but this time, it wasn't out of dizziness. She would've hit the ground, had it not been for Peter, who caught her as quickly as if he'd been expecting her to do this. He lifted her up and carried her to her bed as she continued to mumble about how not-tired she was.

By the time they reached her bedroom door, Lucy was fast asleep and snoring lightly. Peter suppresses a laugh as he snuck into her room (taking care not to wake Susan) and put her in bed. He pulled her blankets up and tucked her in tightly, making sure she'd stay warm in the cold winter night.

After kissing her forehead lightly, Peter made his way out of Lucy and Susan's room. As he pulled the door shut most of the way, he could've sworn he heard his baby sister mumble two words in her sleep: "Not tired."


End file.
